1. family and parenting
2. children

summer 2014
Newsletter
ALLIANCE VOICE
Building a Bridge
to Success 6
Connections for Native
American Foster Children 3
New Children’s
Justice Council 4
Annual Dinner
Raises $1.3 Million 8
Policy Solutions Offer
Promise to Children 12
Thank You Donors
for Fueling
Our Work 14
Around
theAlliance
Alliance
Around
the
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHAIR
Cliff Gilbert-Lurie
Ziffren Brittenham LLP
SECRETARY
Amy M. Hawkes
Ernst & Young LLP
TREASURER
Chris B. Walther
Activision Blizzard
Peter Benedek
United Talent Agency
James P. Clark
a message from
board chair
Cliff gilbert-lurie &
janis spire
CEO
New Partnerships Promise
Stronger Connections
for Native American children in foster care
Chief Deputy Attorney, City of L.A.
Trent Copeland
Attorney & Legal News Analyst
Nancy de Brier
Attorney & Child Advocate
Michael Downer
Capital Research & Mgmt. Co.
Susan F. Friedman
NBC News (Retired)
Leslie Gilbert-Lurie*
Writer, Child Advocate, Lawyer
Barbara Grushow
Barbara Grushow Designs
Angie Harmon
Actress & Advocate
under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
to age 26. ACA now enables young
adults to stay on their parents’
insurance plan, but foster youth have
no parents making it critical that they
access this benefit. The Alliance is
actively enrolling youth, so they have a
five-year health safety net.
The Alliance recently launched a partnership with the Juvenile Court to reach
Native American foster children. Judge Amy Pellman presides over the Indian
Child Welfare Act (ICWA) court, which sees upwards of 200 cases involving
Native American youth each year. Our collaboration, made possible by the San
Manuel Band of Mission Indians, allows us to meet and screen children coming
through Judge Pellman’s court. In addition to advocating for the children’s
education, healthcare and financial supports and services, we are also working to
identify and build relationships with culturally sensitive community providers.
The Alliance has also taken a lead in
ensuring new legislation will close
the education achievement gap for
California’s more than 60,000 foster
youth. Through this reform, schools
(with a large percentage of foster
youth and other at-risk groups) will
receive additional resources to bolster
the academic standing of vulnerable
students. Alliance representatives are
diligently “pounding the pavement”
to make sure the funds are allocated
appropriately, so more foster youth
graduate high school and advance to
college or vocational school.
Like all children in foster care, Native American children need stability, access
to early and special education, quality medical and mental healthcare, and for
older youth, mentors, housing and transition services. But this population faces
additional obstacles, including a shortage of Native American foster homes and
culturally conscious service providers. While under L.A. County jurisdiction, many
of these youth live in neighboring counties such as San Bernardino and Riverside
where resources can be scarcer and where they are further away from social
workers and court-appointed attorneys. Through this collaboration, we advocate
for services across county lines. And when children reunify with their birth
parents, we will continue to provide the tools they need to be successful at home.
Yasmine Delawari Johnson
Child Advocate
Jo Kaplan
Referee, Juvenile Court
Mitchell T. Kaplan
Kaplan Stahler Agency
Gwyn Lurie
Alcove Films
Karen Mack
Writer & Producer
Steven A. Marenberg*
Irell & Manella LLP
Sue Naegle
This is Cliff Gilbert-Lurie’s first joint
letter as the new Chairman of the
Alliance Board of Directors. The
Alliance is thankful for the tremendous
leadership and vision of outgoing
Board Chair Bart Williams.
Naegle Ink
Kirk Pasich
Dickstein Shapiro, LLP
Daniel M. Petrocelli
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
Harriet S. Posner
Skadden LLP
Kevin Reilly
FOX Broadcasting Company
Rick Rosen
William Morris Endeavor
Bruce Rosenblum
Legendary Television
Phillip Rudolph
Jack in the Box, Inc.
Susan Saltz
Child Advocate
We are running on a flood of energy
on the heels of our incredibly
successful 22nd Annual Dinner
celebration on April 7 and the RIGHT
to LAUGH comedy event on May 29
(see pages 8 - 10). The outpouring of
financial and in-kind support we’ve
received from the community will be
channeled to help local children who
face impossible circumstances.
José F. Sanchez
Sidley Austin LLP
Toni M. Schulman*
Child Advocate
The Alliance has taken a lead in
enrolling foster youth for coverage
Every day, your support opens doors
of opportunity for disadvantaged
children so they can dream big. Thank
you for helping us to keep those big
dreams alive.
The Alliance is also working with the United American Indian Involvement
(UAII) to identify social service providers and make them more accessible
to Native American families. We are building on an existing Native American
services directory by calling on our partners to join and to participate in cultural
awareness training led by UAII. While Native American youth have always been
a part of Alliance caseloads, we are committed to growing these partnerships so
more children are poised for long-term success.
Pamela Soper, ex officio
Blue Ribbon Commission Roadmap to Change Lives Now
CBS Television
Bart H. Williams*
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
Noelle Wolf
Child Advocate
2013 Programs at a Glance
(7,611 children served)
Robert J. Woolway
Los Angeles County’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Child Protection released
its final report on April 18 calling for a transformation of the child protection
system. This includes creating a single entity responsible for all child welfare
services throughout multiple county agencies. The report calls for better
support for foster children who are placed with relatives—an issue the
Alliance is championing statewide (see page 12). The report also calls for
greater transparency, accountability and data sharing as well as improved
education stability for foster youth. The County Board of Supervisors adopted
these reforms, and we look forward to playing a role in their implementation.
Visit blueribboncommissionla.com.
Adoption and
Adoption Support
1,014
Trinity Capital LLC
president & Ceo
Janis Spire
chief operating officer
NextStep: Transition
Age Youth
1,950
Michael House
legal director
Laura Streimer
Director of development
Guardianship
546
Education and
Early Child Development
Healthcare
521
1,494
Marlene McGuirt
Communications Director
Constance Farrell
* Past Chairs
ALLIANCE VOICE | Summer 2014
Other
1,036
Benefits and Special
Needs Support
1,050
Board Member and Vice Chair of the Blue Ribbon
Commission Leslie Gilbert-Lurie speaking at a
commission hearing with retired Judge Terry Friedman.
kids-alliance.org | 3
Pro Bono Spotlight
Program Highlights
2014 Children’s
Justice Council
honoring firms who go above and beyond for impoverished and abused children and youth
The Alliance is thrilled to recognize firms whose extraordinary pro bono commitment improves the lives of our community’s
most vulnerable children. These firms have donated the most hours to the Alliance in addition to building special practices,
affecting statewide policy and providing significant resources to sustain our work. We honor these firms as our inaugural
Children’s Justice Council, a new distinction to be awarded annually.
Gibson has been there for our clients since the beginning.
They were instrumental in creating the Alliance’s Adoption
Program and helped finalize thousands of foster care
adoptions. Gibson also helps achieve stability for adoptive
families. They successfully litigated a landmark case so
adoptive parents receive benefits based on a disabled
child’s needs. In addition, Gibson advocates for education
rights. They are working on a first-of-its-kind impact project,
training schools on partial credit laws. For foster youth who
move constantly, this groundwork will make high school
graduation a reality, instead of an impossible dream.
Latham is a pro bono powerhouse, donating thousands of
hours each year. Latham attorneys create families through
adoption and guardianship, stabilize families with public
benefits and support children by advocating for education.
Foster Care
Month
graduations, job skills and career paths for
transition-age youth
1
Latham also helped develop two new initiatives to assist
children. They were the first firm to take on a large volume of
special education cases and to advocate for early childhood
development services. They are also piloting a new program
to obtain child care benefits for children in need. With each
issue, Latham develops extensive internal expertise and
displays a deep commitment to our practice areas.
Manatt attorneys are true champions for children’s stability
and improvements in public policy. They collaborate to
identify innovative approaches to pro bono advocacy.
Manatt bolstered legislative efforts to better support foster
children raised by relatives, led a 50 state survey of kinship
benefits and presented the survey findings to the California
Department of Social Services. Their leadership on this issue
is poised to improve the lives of thousands of foster children
raised by relatives.
Myths About Teen and Sibling
AdoptionS Dispelled
an adoptive father explains the facts
May was
1. Jasmine graduated
from USC
2. Junior League of LA
cooking workshop
2
3. Job shadowing
with ICM Partners
Scott and Veronica adopted their daughters, ages 11
and 12, in February 2014. Scott dispels some of the
common myths about adopting pre-teen siblings.
Myth: teens come with baggage that you
don’t know about.
FACT: When we adopted the girls, we were given
their complete history. Through this, we learned their
needs and ways to include them into our family history.
We talk about their time in foster care, and because
of that, they can be themselves.
3
Myth: Adopting babies is an easier way to
grow your family.
FACT: Our youngest daughter has cerebral palsy and
needs constant care, so we couldn’t parent a young
child. For us, adopting older kids meant we could still
grow our family.
4
O’Melveny has a long history of advocating for children
across many of our programs, including guardianship,
adoption and public benefits. They have successfully
litigated numerous benefits cases, ensuring children have
support for basic needs. When family members were denied
the right to care for relative foster children, O’Melveny
attorneys filed suit to protect their rights. O’Melveny’s
action led to the creation of a new state hearing process for
relative caregivers, allowing children to stay with a loving
family member instead of in a foster or group home. Each
year, this system-wide fix helps hundreds of families create
stable homes for their kin.
We thank these firms and all of the other phenomenal
attorneys and firms who help make our work possible.
ALLIANCE VOICE | Summer 2014
Myth: It’s hard to bond with siblings BECAUSE
they’ve been through so much, and their
bond is only with each other.
FACT: Adopting siblings made our relationship
building process even smoother. Because they have
each other, they never felt isolated or alone. Our
relationship added to their relationship.
4. Mirno shadows
fire fighters
5. Heirloom LA
teaches youth
catering skills
5
When siblings enter the foster care system, they are
separated from their family, and often, from each other.
Around 70% of foster children have siblings in care.
It’s rare and something to celebrate when a pre-teen
sibling set finds a family to love them both.
CELEBRATE Upcoming Adoption Days
August 1 & November 21, National Adoption Day
kids-alliance.org | 5
Alliance Feature
Building a bridge to success
from high school to self-sufficiency
Growing up in foster care is hard, and increasingly so,
as youth get closer to the foster care finish line (age 21).
When foster care was extended from 18 to 21 starting in
2012, it was monumental. The runway for foster youth was
significantly expanded giving them more time to pursue
an education and vocational training. But, in order to
reduce the number of youth aging out into homelessness,
incarceration and poverty, as Sean’s story illustrates, it takes
more than an extra three years. It takes planning, knowledge
about available resources, life skills, and a focus on high
school graduation, college and career readiness.
$
proper training and job readiness to enter the workforce with
a skill that will earn above minimum wage. And we do this as
early as possible—in Sean’s case, in his last two years of high
school. What’s important is identifying goals and interests
and building a bridge to get there while working towards a
high school diploma and everything along the way.
Sean entered foster care at age 10 after an abusive
beginning. He was placed in the home of his
grandmother, but was never assessed for educational
delays, his Medi-Cal was terminated and he went without
treatment for anxiety and depression. Sean was already
doing poorly in school when his grandmother entered a
nursing home. He was moved to a group home, forced
to change high schools and fell off track for high school
graduation. To make matters worse, on a visit with his
father, his dad beat him and a neighbor called the police.
His dad told the police Sean initiated the fight. Sean was
arrested and entered the juvenile justice system.
The domino effect that is caused by abuse, neglect and
constant instability is a common scenario for foster youth.
Sean is a youth in transition, but issue after issue disrupts
his smooth path towards independence. The Alliance stands
alongside youth like Sean to remove these barriers, whether
it be advocating for the classroom over juvenile hall,
reinstating health insurance or ensuring they get into safe
and stable housing.
Foster youth move schools an average of six
times while in care.
The Alliance met Sean when he exited juvenile hall
after months of being out of school. We worked with
three school districts to calculate all of Sean’s lost school
credits and advocated to get him into a special school
with onsite housing where he could focus and get needed
ALLIANCE VOICE | Summer 2014
Circling Foster Youth in Supports for Success
Only 40% of foster youth graduate high school.
Exposing youth like Sean to careers, professionals and opportunities helps them set goals
and get on a path towards self-sufficiency.
therapeutic treatments. Sean did well in his new school,
but after an emotional outburst, he was moved to another
group home and school.
The Alliance recovers academic credits for all of
its students when they change schools.
Preparing youth for a successful future requires serious
transition planning, from life skills and academics to stable
housing and mental health services—youth need these bare
necessities and the guidance parent-like advocacy provides.
Getting youth to graduate high school and move on to
higher education or vocational training is an essential goal.
College may not be a viable option for all young people,
and so we meet youth where they are. We connect them to
Before his 18th birthday, we spent a lot of time
exploring Sean’s future. We talked about career
options and college. Through these goal-setting
conversations, we discovered Sean’s love for cars and
computers, and talked about a possible career in auto
mechanics. We arranged for Sean to participate in job
training workshops and even shadow the owner of an auto
shop. Sean really enjoyed it—he was able to use his critical
thinking and engage with customers. For the first time, Sean
felt like he was good at something and could see a path for
his future. And, he does because he graduated high school
after working hard, attending summer school and meeting
regularly with a tutor, but he needed someone there every
step of the way. The Alliance matched Sean with a mentor
to help overcome everyday barriers that come his way.
still a constant challenge, as is ensuring youth take advantage
of the resources available to them, including the benefits
of extended foster care, priority registration in community
college and credit checks to scan and resolve identity theft
issues—a common threat to foster youth.
Sean stayed in his group home until graduation,
but then, he faced homelessness until we found an
opening at a transitional housing site. We guided Sean
through his community college application for mechanic
vocational training and sealed his juvenile record so he
could apply for a part-time job. We also introduced him to
the school’s guardian scholars program, which will keep
him connected on campus. With a place to lay his head,
classes to be excited about and a clean record, Sean is
confident and hopeful. He knows he’s not alone when new
obstacles come before him.
Only 3% of foster youth graduate with a four-year
college degree.
The Alliance’s programs work to support youth so they don’t
become another alarming statistic. With advocacy, the right
services, a support system and a high school diploma, foster
youth like Sean can move past their past and with the ability
to forge a future that is all their own.
75% of Alliance high school clients are on track
for graduation.
High school graduation and college is a huge accomplishment
and a feat for many, but it isn’t the end of the road. Finding
housing for transition-age youth and for college graduates is
The Alliance builds bridges so youth can achieve
success in college, the workforce and beyond.
Learn more at kids-alliance.org.
kids-alliance.org | 7
Annual Dinner
Denise Richards
$1.3 Million Raised at
22nd Annual Dinner
Tom Bergeron, Willie Garson, Anne Sweeney and Jimmy Kimmel
Willie Garson, Nathen Garson, Selena Gomez and Anne Sweeney
Rick Rosen, Leslie Gilbert-Lurie and Sue Naegle
Selena Gomez and Jake T. Austin
The Alliance’s 22nd Annual Dinner on Monday, April 7, honored Anne Sweeney,
president, Disney/ABC Television Group, as the National Champion for Children.
Jimmy Kimmel paid tribute to Anne before Maria Shriver presented her with the
award for her dedication to children and family.
Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay
Cliff Gilbert-Lurie and Dick Wolf
Board Member and Dinner Chair
Toni M. Schulman with John Schulman
Russell Goldsmith, Matt Johnson and Ellen and Ken Ziffren
Les Firestein, Pamela Soper and Ben Sherwood
Kelly Zajfen, Crispin and Danika Charity, Emily Lynch
and Yasmine Delawari Johnson
Alliance client Sarah Rachel
Betsy Brandt and Malin Akerman
Actor Willie Garson was honored with the Francis M. Wheat Community Service
Award for his tireless advocacy as a spokesperson for foster care adoption. Willie
adopted his son Nathen, 12, from foster care in 2010. Nathen sweetly presented
his dad with the award after sharing his adoption experience with the nearly
1,000 guests at the Beverly Hilton.
Maria Shriver, Anne Sweeney and Jesse Tyler Ferguson
The evening program highlighted the Alliance’s work on behalf of relative foster
families and teens who struggle to graduate high school while moving around in
the foster care system.
The dinner was co-chaired by Board Members Susan Friedman, Leslie and Cliff
Gilbert-Lurie, Sue Naegle, Rick Rosen and Toni M. Schulman. Honorary Co-Chairs
Mark Gordon, Nancy Josephson, Shonda Rhimes and Maria Shriver set the stage
for a very successful event. Thank you to our generous sponsors, supporters and
guests for an extraordinary evening to celebrate and support our programs.
Board Member Chris Walther and Activision guests
Board Members Jim Clark, Amy Hawkes and Trent Copeland
ALLIANCE VOICE | Summer 2014
Board Member Noelle Wolf with Dick Wolf
kids-alliance.org | 9
Past Events
Upcoming Events
A night full of laughter
upcoming events
at the 5th Annual the RIGHT to LAUGH
16th Annual
Event committee (partial list, L-R): Jeff Meyerson, Jon Moonves, Wendy Steinhoff, Gene Stein, Alix Jaffe, Wendi Trilling, Amy Landecker, Katie Bond, Alex Schwartz,
Sarah and Bill Odenkirk, Rachelle Carson-Begley, Keith Cox, Marlene McGuirt, Kymberly Marciano-Strauss, Bradley Glenn, Jay Gassner, Peter Benedek and Karey Burke
Tennis for Tots | September 20, 2014
Join us at the Los Angeles Tennis Club for a fun
afternoon on the courts. Tennis for Tots has raised
more than $1 million for Los Angeles’ children—all
while enjoying delicious barbeque and a round robin
doubles tournament. The event is generously hosted
by Board Member Mitch Kaplan of the Kaplan Stahler
Agency and his agency partner, Elliot Stahler. The
tournament is held in memory of David and Lynn
Angell—a couple committed to uplifting children,
who tragically died on September 11, 2001.
Shahidah Omar, J.B. Smoove, David
Koechner, and Bill and Kristen Bellamy
Tafari Gonzalez-Aird with
Terre Jacobs and Jeff Ruds
11th Annual
SOLOW CEO Sarah Siegel Magness with Colin King
Ray Romano
“All-In” for Kids Celebrity Poker Tournament | October 19, 2014
Give Los Angeles’ kids the upper hand at the 11th
Annual “All-In” for Kids Celebrity Poker Tournament
sponsored by City National Bank at Commerce Casino.
Enjoy an afternoon at the tables alongside celebrity
participants so that the Alliance can continue to go
“all-in” for Los Angeles’ vulnerable young people.
We hope to see you there!
Maxwell McGuirt, co-chair Gene Stein, Toto’s Steve Porcaro, Chaz Ebert and Toto’s Steve Lukather
Board members Chris Walther, Phil Rudolph and Peter Benedek with Toks Olagundoye
ALLIANCE VOICE | Summer 2014
On Thursday, May 29, we held our 5th Annual the RIGHT to
LAUGH comedy event presented by SOLOW, at the Avalon
Hollywood. The night was a huge success, raising nearly
$350,000. More than 500 guests packed the house and
enjoyed the night of hilarious laughs from the unstoppable
Ray Romano, Brad Garrett, Bill Bellamy, Rob Riggle, David
Koechner, Cameron Esposito and host, J.B. Smoove. We
sincerely appreciate all of the comedians who generously
participated in our event and gave vulnerable children a
reason to laugh again.
Attendees truly blew us away with their generous
contributions during our silent and FOREVER hoodie
auctions. We also want to thank our sponsors The Gary
Magness Foundation, CBS, UTA, City National Bank,
Kymberly Marciano-Strauss & Evan Strauss, Del Shaw
Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano, Dianna & Jon
Moonves, Felker Toczek Suddleson LLP and our other
generous sponsors and donors. We couldn’t have done it
without our amazing committee and co-chairs! To learn
more and to see additional photos, visit kids-alliance.org.
For more information on these events
and more, visit kids-alliance.org.
Change for Children: A Campaign for Kids Helping Kids
We live in an era where giving back is a family affair. To continue to foster this
spirit of giving, the Alliance is launching “Change for Children (C4C),” a
fundraising initiative that can take many forms for children and teens. Teens
seeking leadership and community giving experience can sign up to champion
a C4C coin drive or fundraising campaign at their school. Children can host
birthday parties where donations are made in lieu of gifts, and other events like
bake sales and car washes to support the Alliance’s work. It’s incredible how
much young people can do to make a big difference for abused and neglected
children. For more information and to learn how other kids participated, visit
kids-alliance.org/c4c or email [email protected] to get involved.
kids-alliance.org | 11
Policy Update
Around the Alliance
Policy Solutions for Children
two new efforts to protect children and improve education
Step Up Coalition: Solving Inequities for Foster Children Living with Relatives
In the last Alliance Voice, our cover story focused on the
disparity in support for foster children who are raised by
relatives. The Alliance is leading a coalition called Step Up—a
statewide call to action for policy makers to ensure foster
children living with relatives have the same financial support
and services as children placed with non-relatives. Step Up
is pursuing two strategies to put an end to this
longstanding injustice.
Budget Request: Step Up asked the Governor and legislature
to budget state money to equitably support all foster children
raised by relatives just as they do for non-relatives. The CA
State Assembly voted to include this in its budget, but the
Senate did not. As we go to print, the proposal is pending
before a committee responsible for reconciling the differences
between the two houses. Step Up is urging the Governor’s
backing if the proposal makes it into the final budget
passed by the Legislature.
AB 1882 (Cooley): If the budget request is unsuccessful,
AB 1882 would secure some additional support for children
by requiring social workers to garner CalWORKs funding for
children in relative care. The onus is currently on families to
apply for this basic support. AB 1882 passed through the
Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 23.
With California’s first surplus in years, this an opportune time
to ensure relatives have the support they need to give kids a
happy, healthy childhood.
The San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times editorial
boards have both called on the state to address this issue.
Read the articles and learn more on the new Step Up website
(shown above) at stepupforkin.org.
Education Reform is an Opportunity to Close the Achievement Gap for Foster Youth
The Alliance is working with Los Angeles’ education leaders and advocates to guarantee that a new school financial reform
makes a considerable dent in improving education outcomes for foster youth. The reform is called the Local Control Funding
Formula under which schools serving foster youth, low-income students and English learners are targeted to receive additional
funding for support services aimed at helping more vulnerable students graduate high school. To ensure the reform lives up
to its promise, the Alliance and the Coalition for Educational Equity for Foster Youth, a multi-agency collaborative, drafted a
plan to help school districts effectively invest in vulnerable foster students who face the worst education outcomes over any
other at-risk student population. We are actively working with school districts and county agencies to offer recommendations,
trainings and the tools necessary to make sure this additional support reaches foster youth.
ALLIANCE VOICE | Summer 2014
“
The Alliance is a gift to families
navigating the foster/adopt system.
Because of their knowledge and
care, our children’s lives are
forever changed. ”
-John Rigsby
kids-alliance.org | 13
Donors
thank you to our donors
your generosity and commitment enable us to protect the health and well-being of children
Angels
Annenberg Foundation
The California Wellness Foundation
Nancy and Donald de Brier
The Eisner Foundation
The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Legal Services Trust Fund
Walter S. Johnson Foundation
The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
The Rose Hill Foundation
Gary Saltz Foundation
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP
UniHealth Foundation
The J.B. and Emily Van Nuys Charities
Weingart Foundation
Noelle and Dick Wolf
Youth News Service L.A. Bureau/L.A. Youth
Benefactors
The Carl and Roberta Deutsch Foundation
O’Melveny & Myers, LLP
The Anthony and Jeanne Pritzker
Family Foundation
San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
Survivor (Mark Burnett & Jeff Probst)
S. Mark Taper Foundation
Zellerbach Family Foundation
Champions
A & E Television Networks
John W. Carson Foundation
CBS Television Network
City National Bank
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Disney-ABC Television Group
Leslie and Cliff Gilbert-Lurie, Esq.
Higgins Family Charitable Foundation
The Mark Hughes Foundation
Terre Jacobs and Jeff Rudes
Kaplan Stahler Agency
Karen Mack and Russell Goldsmith
NBC Universal
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffry N Quinn
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
United Talent Agency
Verance Corporation
Ziffren Brittenham, LLP
Patrons
Activision Blizzard, Inc.
Capital Research & Management Company
Creative Artists Agency
Dickstein Shapiro, LLP
DreamWorks Animation SKG
Fox Entertainment Group, Inc.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP
Home Box Office
ICM Partners
In-N-Out Burger Foundation
Irell & Manella, LLP
Jack in the Box Inc.
Marilyn Jones and Mitchell T. Kaplan
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Gary D. Magness Family Foundation
Kymberly Marciano-Strauss and
Evan Strauss
Alison M. Whalen and Steve A. Marenberg
Munger, Tolles & Olson, LLP
Pfaffinger Foundation
Dawn E. and Phillip H. Rudolph, Esq.
Toni M. and John Schulman
Sidley Austin, LLP
South Los Angeles Child Welfare Initiative
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Susan Stockton and Chris B. Walther
Warner Bros.
William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
Nadine N. Bell and Bart H. Williams
Defenders
3 Arts Entertainment
Angell Foundation
Anonymous
Arnold & Porter, LLP
Bold Films
James L. Brooks
Yasmine Delawari Johnson and
Matthew Johnson
Entertainment Industry Foundation
Ernst & Young, LLP
Patty and Billy Gardell
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Guess? Foundation, Inc.
Amy M. Hawkes, Esq.
Defenders (Continued)
Hedge Funds Care
Ms. Maria Hummer-Tuttle and
Ambassador Robert Tuttle
Inclusive Education and Community Partnership, Inc.
Kirkland & Ellis, LLP
Latham & Watkins, LLP
Lionsgate Entertainment
Nathalie Marciano
Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky
& Popeo, P.C.
Nordstrom
Paradigm
Kirk A. Pasich, Esq.
Craig M. Piligian
The Resnick Family Foundation
Shine America
Ana Marie Stern
Anne Sweeney
Rachel Tabori Myerson
Mandy and Brian Teefey
TM Financial Forensics, LLC
Wasserman Foundation
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, LLP
Xbox Entertainment Studios
Sponsors
Anonymous
Arent Fox, LLP
Deborah and Mark Attanasio
Katie Locke-Aviv and Oren Aviv
Shelli and Irving Azoff
Bloom, Hergott, Diemer, Rosenthal
and LaViolette, LLP
Cooley, LLP
Rosie and Peter Casey
P.J. and James P. Clark, Esq.
Mary and Jean De Kernion
DIRECTV Group, Inc.
Linda and Jeff Eisikowitz
Equal Justice Works
Fredda K. Evans
Daniel Fauci
Foley & Lardner Attorneys at Law
Fortis Films
Susan F. and Alan V. Friedman
Kim and Gregory T. Garcia
Willie Garson
Greenberg Glusker
Valerie Cabrera and Richard B. Goldberg
Mark Gordon
Barbara Grushow and Emmanuel Bujold
Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman,
Newman, et al., LLP
Hulu
Hunton & Williams, LLP
Jo Kaplan and Larry Feldman
Joseph Kibre, Esq.
Robert Klieger
Maurice La Marche
Legendary Entertainment
Nadine and Michael J. Levitt
Annette and Robert Lichtenstein
Richard and Melanie Lundquist
Joyce J. Mack
Bill Maher
Mayer Brown, LLP
McDermott, Will & Emery, LLP
McGuireWoods, LLP
The Barry and Wendy Meyer Foundation
Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp, LLP
Jonathan & Dianne Moonves
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Morrison & Foerster Foundation
Sue Naegle
Sarah and Bill Odenkirk
Paul Hastings, LLP
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP
Reed Smith, LLP
Rick Rosen
Michael Stubbs and William Resnick
Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, LLP
Stella and William H. Robinson
Susan Saltz
Elisa Fernandez and Jose F. Sanchez
Hon. Nicole Avant and Ted Sarandos
Seyfarth Shaw, LLP
Riva R. Slifka
Sudesh Sood
Sullivan & Cromwell, LLP
Nadine Tilley
UCLA Anderson School of Management
University of Southern California School of Social Work
ALLIANCE VOICE | Summer 2014
Sponsors (Continued)
Laura Fox and Ben Van de Bunt
Viacom Entertainment Group
Venable, LLP
Krista Vernoff
Lisa and Gregory W. Wendt
Sandy Williams and Theressa Shields
Ellen and Ken Ziffren
Sustainers
Elizabeth S. Balfour
BermanBraun Television Productions, Inc.
Stacey Byrnes and Paul Eggert
David Chase
Crowell & Moring, LLP
Vin Di Bona
Renee K. Howdeshell
David Hyde Pierce
Just Give
Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump
& Aldisert, LLP
Ligia and Dennis Korn
Marilyn and Steven Kram
Barbara and Thomas Leanse
Robert Long
Marilynn Mack
Tracey and Richard Nanula
Network For Good
Alison and Daniel M. Petrocelli, Esq.
Michael Plonsker
Beth Bornhurst and Jim Preminger
Ande and Bruce Rosenblum
Kenneth Rotenberg
Sally Ann Salsano
Dan Sandel
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, LLP
Christopher Sheridan
Kathy D. and David Siegel
Katherine and David Slack
Florence and Harry Sloan
Robert B. Sloan
Pamela Soper
Eugene B. Stein and Geert de Turck
Amy and Michael Stewart
Tanner Mainstain Blatt Glynn
& Johnson, LLP
Debbie and Henry Weissmann
Suzanne V. Wilson
Amy M. Yasbeck
Partners
Malin Akerman
Linda Allderdice
Harmony Apel
Karen Johnson and Tom Appleton
Alain Azizi
Matthew D. and Jessica Babrick
Steve Bardwil
Renée Becnel
Peter M. and Barbara Benedek
Robert Beyer
Hillary Bibicoff
Jodie Blum
Matt Bomer
Mrs. Harriet Rossetto and
Rabbi Mark Borovitz
Bostwick Law
Kevin Brockman
George Brown
Melanie and Alan Brunswick
James Burrows
Jenell and John Cabrinha
Maria Calabrese
Tom & Ellen Calcaterra
Carl E. Wynn Foundation
Maytal and Gil Charash
Danika and Xander Charity
Chernin Entertainment
Deborah and Daniel Clark
Erin and Trent Copeland
Jonathan Congdon
Tim Connolly
Emily Culbertson
John Cummings
Janet and Robert E. Daily
Jules Daly
Elizabeth Lott and Rajeev Dassani
Sam Delug
Dawn DeNoon
Elisabeth Deutschman
Nannette Diacovo
DLA Piper, LLP (US)
Scott A. Edelman, Esq.
Megan Edner
Estelle and Philip L. Elkus
Alan Epstein
Partners (Continued)
Equal Justice America
Mitch Evall, Esq.
Kat and Christophe Farber
Kenneth Fearn
Pauline Fischer
Leah and Sam Fischer
Thomas M. Fontana
Mary Fossier
Francine and Manley Freid
Eden Gaha
Leonard R. Garner, Jr.
Cara Maggioni and Jay C. Gassner
Justin Gimelstob
Elaine and Bram Goldsmith
Ethan S. Goldstine
Carlos Goodman
Jeanne R. Hayden and Gary Greenberg
Marc Greenberg
Derek Haas
Rene and Paul Haas
Sally E. and David M. Hackel
James Hancock and Stephen Mathis
IBS Foods, Inc
Angela Izuel
Nancy and Len Jacoby
Jamra & Jamra, LLP
Ben and Sara Jensen
Jewish Community Foundation
Bill J. Johnson
Nancy Josephson
Diane and Aaron Judovits
Heidi Schulman and Mickey Kantor
Lila Kaplan Blane
Marta Kauffman and Michael Skloff
Jeanine Kay
Kelley Drye & Warren, LLP
Kendall Brill & Klieger, LLP
Elise Klein
Philip Klein
Lana and Robert Knop
Jason B. Komorsky
Linda Kornfeld, Esq.
Stephen Korniczky
Sue J. Kroll
Beverley Kruskol
Benjamin V. Lambert
Margaret Shanley and Trevor Lavin
Nina Lederman
Ashley Lee
The Honorable Jan Greenberg Levine
Robert L. Levy
Catherine Lhamon and Giev Kashkooli
Miranda and Steve Lipscomb
Longo Toyota Scion
Frederick A. Lorig
Dana and Keith Lupton
Emily and David Lynch
Carrie Mandel
Joel Mandel
Vicki Marmorstein
Jordan McCollum
Jeffrey McFarland
Laverne McKinnon and Charles Swenson
Jonathan Mead
Metzger Law Group
Janice Min
Momentous Insurance Brokerage, Inc.
Sean Morris
Murchison & Cumming
Peter Norman Jewelers
Matthew Olmstead
Eleanor and Glenn Padnick
Tom C. and Carol Patchett
Carolyn Martin and Mark A. Pedowitz
Kelly Pena
Julie Pernworth
Susan Duffy and Steven Peterman
Harriet S. Posner, Esq.
Jess Ravich
Phyllis and Steven Rich
Beth Roberts and Warren B. Smith
Fawn Rogers
Nancy Stephens and Rick Rosenthal
Richard Ross
Terry Rowland
Lawrence Rudolph
Elizabeth Gottainer and David Sadkin
Kelli Williams and Ajay Sahgal
Genny C. Salamon
Hani Salehi-Had
Gary Satin
Adina Savin
Chris Schmidt
Deborah Pines and Tony Schwartz
Lynne Segall
Partners (Continued)
Margie and John H. Sharer
Nina Shaw
Benjamin Sherwood
Lynne and Eric Siegel
Jennifer Sklenar
Stephen Smith
Matthew Solo
Janis Spire and Kathy Meherin
Tami and David Stapf
Jackie and Larry Stein
Steptoe & Johnson, LLP
Bruce Stern
Sandra Stern
Gretchen Stockdale
Rita Streimer
Janet and Ian Teague
The Allergan Foundation
Bridget Sampson and Neal Thornhill
Nicole Tilley
Deborah and David C. Trainer
Wendi G. and Stephen Trilling
United Way
Gregory Vanni, Esq.
Kevin Vick
Jane Wald
Cynthia and Lee Walker
Julie Waxman and Seth Freeman
Richard & Marilyn Weitz
John Wells
J.T. Williams
Karen Williams
Andy C. Wong
Catherine and Robert J. Woolway
Mike Zeller
Ida G. Ziniti
Advocates
Aileen Adams and Geoffrey Cowan
Laurel and Charles Adcock
Kate Adler and Marcelo Ziperovich
Robert Alperin
Rand S. and Carol April
Antonina Armato and Tim James
Thomas E. Ascheim
Liza Bercovici and David Axelrod
Rachel Barchie
Aimee Bender
Harvey Bibicoff
Judith and David Bickel
Patricia Bowie
Robert Brewer
Cindy and Robert Broder
Victoria Brunn
Rachelle Carson Begley and Ed Begley, Jr.
Amy and Michael Chapman
Lindsay Chelsom
Caitlin Comeskey
James Comeskey
Content Partners, LLC
Sharon and Paul H. Crane, M.D.
Winnie Dang
Deborah & Daniel Clark
Curt and Jackie De Crinis
Robert DeLand, Jr.
Tony Denison
Gary Deutschman
Dr. and Ms. Bruce Dobkin
Lenore and Andrew Douglas
Nora Doyle
Terri Durham
Elizabeth F. Edlow
David Eilenberg
Caroline Elkin
Laura Ullman Epstein and Mark H. Epstein
Norman B. Epstein
Jack Eskenazi
Mary Pat Faley
Carol Fenelon
Anna and Tommy Finkelstein
Brenda and Paul D. First, M.D.
Heather Fischer
Bette and Arthur Frankel
Shelley Freeman
Friday5.Org
Pamela Fryman-Grossbard and
Alan D. Grossbard
Andrea Funk
Brad Garrett
Janet G. Garrison and Michael Swanson
Jack Giarraputo
Kristine Belson and Paul Golding
Goldman Sachs & Co.
Randy Gordon
Susannah Grant and
Christopher S. Henrikson
Jay Gruska
Jason Gudrc
Amber and Eric W. Hagen, Esq.
Jill and Marty Handlesman
Betsy Heimann
Martha Henderson
Chris Hewish
Daniel Hirth
Advocates (Continued)
Lara and Bradley S. Holtzman
Lili Endlich and Robert A. Holtzman
Alston A. Horrocks
David Hudson
James Huyoung
Hilary and Robert N. Jacobs
Alexandra Jaffe
Meg and Lawrence Kasdan
The Drew A. Katz Foundation
Jonnie Kedj
Sharon and Michael Kelley
Judith and George Kieffer
Amy Landecker
Michael Lemkin
Levine Sullivan & Koch, LLP
Monica Levinson
Lori Valesko and Holly Light
Sam Linsky
Jonathan and Cara Lisco
Ed D. Lodgen
Anahita and Jim Lovelace
Roger Lowenstein
Larry Lyttle
Rebecca and Laird M. Malamed
Elizabeth Marquart
Gary Marsh
Julianna Mather
Lillah McCarthy
Vickie and Bruce McCorkendale
Sandy Mendelson
Lawrence Meyers
Alan Miller
Sherry Miller
Scott Mills
Michael Minden
Kathryn and Drew Murray
Katherine and Michael Neumann
Jonathan Nolan
Bill Nuss
Mary Obasi
Margrit and Norman S. Oberstein
Oliver Obst
Toks Olagundoue
Brett Paul
Michael Pennie
Dona and Jim R. Perry
Sandra Piller
Tom G. Polenzani
Matthew and Tara Poley
David Poynter
Proskauer Rose, LLP
Pearl Reed
Sherry Rendel
Ronald Ribstein
Nicholas Roberts
Doug Robinson
Paul D. Rubenstein
Adam Rymer
Sanjay Sahgal and Kelli Williams
Bradley Schenck
Eric Schiffer
Jeffrey D. Schneider
Randle Schumacher
Jordana B. Schwartz
Marc M. Seltzer
Janice Sendejas
Joel Shackelford
Judith and David Shore
J.K. Simmons
Mark Small
Victoria L. Smith
Sue L. Himmelrich, Esq. and
Michael E. Soloff, Esq.
Autumn Strier
Richard Suckle
Joseph H. Sugerman, M.D.
Lawren Sunderland
Lawrence Szabo
Olivier Taillieu
Mansour Tannourji
Shirley and Donald Taylor
Sarah Bowman and William D. Temko
The Neel Foundation
Melanie Thomas
Suzanne Todd
Stacy and AJ M. Valencia
Candice Vaughn
Kimball Wasick
Richard Webby
Barry L. Weiss
Brett Weitz
Bridget and Marcus Wiley
Henry Winkler
Michael and Cassie Witham
Michael Wolf
James Wong
Harriet Zaretsky
Friends
Courthouse News Service
Donate For Charity
Cathy D. Adams
Keith Addis
Friends (Continued)
Sara and Robert L. Adler
Colette and Gerald Ament
Bob Armstrong
Elizabeth Astrof
Carmela Atkins
Jane Auerbach and Robert W. Eberlein
G W Bailey
Faridoon Baqi
Elizabeth Barstead
Jill and Maury Barth
Robert J. Bezucha
Sharyl Bloom
Mary A. Farrell and Stuart Bloomberg
Dean Bochner
Joan Boorstein
Bobby Bowman
Patrick Braden
Ruth and Raymond Brenner
Lillian and Carter Brown
Carolyn Ginsburg Carlson and
Rob Carlson
Scott Carter
Debby Churi
Andy Clough
Valerie and Bradford Cohen
Patricia and David S. Cohen
Gary J. Cohen
Stuart Cornfeld
Joel Criste
Jen Crittenden and Bill Wrubel
Meredith and John Cross
Diana Crudeli
Heather D.T. de la Vega
Scott Dubchansky
Victoria L. and Sheldon E. Eisenberg
Barbara and Dave Elson
Sally Elwell
Regina Stagg and Joel Feuer
Susan J. and Thomas J. Fineman
Cindy Forman
Andriana Freisson
Peter Friedlander
Gary Garbowitz
Linda Gase
Helen M. Gilbert
Bradley S. Glenn
Nicola and Steven Marc Glick, Esq.
Christine Callahan and Jonathan Glickman
Mark Goffman
Alanna and Mark Goldman
Kelly S. Goode
Nicole H. Gordon
Charlene Gorzela
Gabrielle and Robert J. Greenberg
Paul Grellong
Alicia and Tim Griffin
Sheila Griffiths and Reza Feiz
David Guarascio and Shelley McCrory
Richard Gurman
Shirley and Richard and Richard Hahn
Martha D. Haight
Stephanie R. Hart
Marc and Stephanie Hayutin
Jared Heinke
John Hennigan
Stephen J. Howard, D.D.S.
Patrick J. Hynes
Michelle Issa
James R. Jackoway, Esq.
T. Warren Jackson, Esq.
Leah Jackson
Kenny Johnson
Kristina and Alan Johnson
Karen W. Jones
Katharine M. Jones
Barry Julien
Sherman Kaplan
Cynthia Karl
Michelle Katz
Loretta Kaufman
Nancy Mette and Barnet K. Kellman
Jeanette King
Steven Kleinman
Christopher H. Knauf, Esq.
Claire Kupchak
Mildred J. Laneuville-Hatch and
Eric Laneuville
Julie S. Leff
Julie and Crispin Leyser
Carol Li
Daniel M. Limerick, Jr.
Stephen Madsen
Loretta and John P. Mahon
Deena Margolis and Andrew Cowan
Aline and Aline McKenna
William McLucas
Kenneth Meersand
Suzanne Tanner and Mr. Gary J. Meisel
Sally Melvin-Pick
Edith Mendoza and George Alva
Gregory V. Metchikian
Margaret J. Miller
Theodore N. Miller
Friends (Continued)
Hermine Mnatsakanian
Douglas Morton
Morgan Most
Robert Myman
Andrew H. Newman
Susan Bay-Nimoy and Leonard Nimoy
June and Gerald Norman
Jacqueline Passanisi
Karen E. and Judd N. Pillot
Thurley Lou Pingatore
Milinda McNeely and Stephen H. Plum
Eileen and Joseph Porcaro
Joanna and Moses Port
James E. Puerner
Miriam S. Putnam
Jeremy Ratchford
Billy Ray and Stacy Ray
Sarah Timberman and Edward G. Redlich
Michelle Richman
Ronald Rosenfeld
Donna J. Ross
Damon A. Ross
Paul Ruehl
Peter Sahin
Robin Samuel
Susan Gordon and Theodore Schachter
Jay and Macie Scherick
Rob Schiller
Laura A. Seigle
James A. Sepiol
Marvin S. Shapiro
Gary Silver
Jeanne Codron Silverman and
Rick Silverman
Michael Sluchan
Jonathan C. Solish
Catherine Soros
Kim and Eric Tannenbaum
Lenny Targon
Rosemary Tarquinio
Katie and Matt J. Tarses
Heather Tatroff
David C. Terrasi
Michael Tuchin
Brinley Turner
Noni White and Bob Tzudiker
Samuel Usher
Susan M. Vance and Timothy E. Griffin
Miriam Vogel
Kathleen and Mark Von Treskow
Diane Wagner
Nina Wass
Erin Wehrenberg
Carol Whitley
Ursula Whittaker
Leigh Chapman and Peter John Wilkinson
Carolyn and Bill R. Willen, Esq.
Michele Willens
Chris Williams
Steven Wisner
Adele Yellin
Niro Yousouolan
Bonnie Zane
Charles Zatzkin
Jennifer Zepralka
Special thanks to our
generous in-kind donors:
Crafted Communications
Hugh Williams Photography
LH7 Management/July Moon Productions
The Lippin Group
Liquid Theory
Michael Brannigan Photography
Simon & Schuster
Zeno Group
A special thank you for
cy pres funds directed by:
Ahdoot & Wolfson, PC
This list represents gifts of $275 or
more received between May 1, 2013 and
April 30, 2014. Although we cannot list
everyone, we are grateful for all of your
generous donations and assure you that
every dollar counts.
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Free Smart Phone
App Launches for
Foster Youth!
Introducing the Know Before
You Go app! Now transitionage foster youth in L.A. County
have an easily accessible
resource guide with them
wherever they go. The app is
part of the Know Before You Go
campaign, which educates
youth about succeeding in life
after foster care. You too can
download the app or help
spread the word about this
useful new tool for foster youth.
Scan here or
text “before”
to 96362 to get
the free app!
ALLIANCE VOICE | Summer 2014
Save the Date!
September 20, 2014
16th Annual
Tennis for Tots
Support kids while having
fun on the court
October 19, 2014
11th Annual “All-In” for
Kids Celebrity Poker
Commerce Casino
hosts Texas Hold ‘Em
tournament fundraiser
November 21, 2014
National Adoption Day
Adoptions finalized for
thousands of children as
part of a national celebration across the country
Visit kids-alliance.org for details.